Braiding machine carrier



Jan. 28, 1936. R. w. HALE 2,028,744

BRAIDING MACHINE CARRIER Filed Feb. 6, 1955 6 Fry 8 lli I 6 /7 x7 /7 /7 /3'J&1L/ /3 all Dave ru '02:

V 9 120 .92 WHaze, e 35 f. 9 33 I Patented Jan. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to braiding machine carriers and is for the a simpler manner the result secured by the construction disclosed in my Patent No. 1,723,159,

' August 6, 1929.

Braiding machine carriers or members, sometimes termed trackers, which support the yarn supply and travel in circuitous or other raceways, are of. various types.

In order that the principle of my invention may be readily understood, I have in the accompanying drawing disclosed the preferred embodiment of braiding machine carrier, and I make reference to my said Patent No. 1,723,159 to makeLclear one manner of use of the braiding carrier in a braiding machine.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one of the carriers to which my invention particularly relates;

Fig. 2 is an elevation viewed from a position at ninety degrees from Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation looking at the inside of the upright portion of the carrier, the bobbin being omitted;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the lines 44 of Fig. 2, looking down;

Fig. 5 is an under side view of the bobbin showing the formation for engagement with the single member being of a pawl-like character that replaces the double pawl. of my said Patent No. 1,723,159; and

Figs. 6,7 and 8 are details in side elevation representing three different possible positions of the pawl-like member, namely, the locked position of Fig. 6, the position of ratchetingin one direction only, of Fig. 7, and the position of total disengagement, of Fig. 8.

A braiding carrier is provided with a body portion whereon the yarn supply is carried, generally on a bobbin, and a bearing or guiding surface which cooperates with other parts of the braiding machine, as, for example, the rotating quoits, and the fixed portions of the body structure.

My new braiding carrier may be employed in the type of braiding machine shown in my Patent No. 1,723,159, or it may be used with other types of braiding machines. In such machines are used so-called quoits which may be of any suitable construction. The carriersof the machine travel in the raceway provided between the framing and the peripheral edges of the quoits which in practice is provided with a suitable lower formation generally indicated at 3 in the drawing hereof and which is of the form adapted to the particular type of braiding machine with purpose of accomplishing in,

which the carrier of my invention is employed. In the present embodiment of my invention, the

. upper part of the formation 3 is relatively large and fiat as indicated at 4, being of general ellipti'cal form. Therefrom rises the spindle 5, whereon is received the thread or yarn supply 6. Desirably the thread supply is carried upon a bobbin which may be of usual construction except that its base 1 is furnished with or has secured thereto a part 8 preferably similar to the corresponding part in my said Patent No. 1,723,159, and being therefore provided with circumferentially arranged spaced teeth or formations 9, each of which is shown as parallel sided or slightly converging and adapted for engagement with a single member that takes the place of a so-called iouble pawl or pair of members of my Patent No. 1,723,159, but accomplishes the purpose of that patent in preventing rotation of the yarn package in a direction that would wind up and thus tend to increase the pull or tension on the strand of yarn causing uneven and constantly varying ten-. sion. The structure is such as to insure the feeding of the thread always in a taut condition and preventing overfeeding of the thread and any consequent slackness thereof, and also so to control the direction of rotation of the thread mass as thereby to prevent any strain upon the strand of yarn which may be caused by the tendency of the yarn mass to be caused to rotate in a yarnwinding-up direction by the natural oscillation of the carrier as it rapidly reverses its direction in following the track of the braiding machine in which it is used.

The base member 4 is provided upon its upper face at one end with upwardly extending ears ID in vertical sockets whereof are positioned the ends of a wire H bent into a general hairpin shape providing parallel members desirably circular in cross section, upon which the thread tensioning member hereinafter referred to is applied. Desirably the upper end of the wire H is provided with a pigtail or bent wire l2 through which the thread passes.

The thread extends from the package or sup ply 6 through an eye or guide [3 downwardly about a projection l3, thence upwardly through the hook end M of the spindle 5 to the point of use. The guide I3 is provided upon one of the upright members of a wire Ii, the parallel-members of which receive the tension member [5, here shown as having an upright body part l6 of sheet metal. Upon the outer face of the part I6 is provided the said projection l3 about which the thread is guided. At the upper portion of the body part the sheet metal mally heldgdownrby *is'wider and is bent inward as indicated at H,

l i} At its lower end; the body portion 16 is shown as having secured thereto a strip l8, the ends of which are-bent inward as indicated most clearly at I!) in Fig. 4,-so asto encircle the parallel parts of the wire I I.

28, the upper end whereof is attached to an in-' turned part or formation 2! shown'in Fig. 3 as centrally ppsitioned at the upper end of the body portion 16; At its lower end the said coiled spring 26 is suitably secured preferably as disclosed in v The spring 25 is thus positioned between the parallel members of the wire if! and my said patent.

protected thereby. 7

Instead of providing or my saidPatent No. 1,723,159, I'have been able after: very considerable vide a more simplified same highly desirable results are' secur'ed. This permits me to manufacture the carrier or parts thereof at a vantages of the earlierceinstructien.

. 'As shown'most clearly'in Figs. 2 and I pro 'vide asingle me ber L acter indicated at'2'l, The said member is pivoted on a horizontal pin 28 in earl!) risingirom the upper edge of the part The said hub may upon its upper face be provided lportiofns' of the wire in Fig. 3, '9 as'tobe 7 7 V v the upper face ofthe strip 58 of'the body part, It?

' 7 two next adjacentteeth 9 of the part 8. i In other f Fig. 6 (which I call the position of complete en- T s ,gagement), the yarn'er Qtion); That witha slot to receive in; such mannerias ,to-

in the position resented in Fig.

the pawl-likemember 21 i 7 permit its rockingmove ment. The tail end of'the said pawl-like. member has connected thereto at 3!) a wire 3!, the-upper end 32iwhereoi is bent aboutone of the as clearly indicated engaged at the proper time by in the upward pull of the thread upon the pro jectionll3.

At its opposite end the saidpawl-like' member 1 21 is provided with a head '33 which,

most clearly-inFigs. 6, FI and 8, is inclined for a purpose to be hereinafter stated and which is of shown iusta'sufiicient' length to be received between any I'call the position of partial engagement), it may I, 'be rotated only in a forward direction (that is,

in the direction of the arrow,'toward'the left,

Viewing that figure). 'When the pawl head 33-is shown in Fig. 8, the yarn. or thread e may be rotatedineither direco'say, the position re'presented fin tutes the lockedposition; that rep- "7 permits ratcheting in onedirection cnly.(namely, in the direction of unwinding massor pac Fig. :5 const1 the yarn) and Fig.- 8 represents a position of total f disengagement of the pawl with the part 81,

The-purpose of total disengagement 'as shown in Fig. 8 is to allow the package of yarn or thread to be turned by the hand of the operatorin a direction to wind up whatever surplus or slack yarn or thread may. exist between the point of yarndelivery from the'package and the braiding point. In other words, in the process of replacing V M ii, to provide'guides; encircling the two upright members of the wire i provide some means The tension member leis nore' a coiled spring indicated at] e a carrier (or a plurality the double pawl structure experimentation to 7 prostructureiby whieh the 7 less cost while retaining all the adgeneral pawl-like char 7 the hub or upstanding upright 8, it will :be evident that 1 bar adapted to engage I e either partially or completely, .andacting, while a spool or package of sameon the'package.

'(while, the machine is stopped) entirely release yarn or thread, i very often some slack yarn must betaken up by winding the" It is therefore desirable to whereby the operator may the package and wind upon it whatever slack yarn exists.

Whilethe machine is in operation, the position of the pawl and ratchet relation as shown in Fig. 8 ,7

is never reached I 7 the tensionmember it upon the strand of yarn orthread transmits,

to turn from thegposition showninFigJY. g

Itwill beunder'stood that in operation there is since thedownward pressure of v bythe strand of jam or thread to the rotatable package, suiiicient energy to cause the package V thereof 3g traveling in one direction and a carrier (or plurality thereof). 7

traveling in the opposite sinuous'paths shown ingmy Patent No. 1,723,159.

direction along the 7 The travel of the carriers each in a sinuous path is at'a very high rate and therefore each carrier is being-constantly swung upon a longitudinal axis first in one direction and then in the other, so that x if .the thread mass 5 is not properly restrained from rotating upon iteow'n axis, it would tend constantly to jerk the'threadand either the same'or result in ing the threadmass axis in either direction (namely, when the pawl to brealg f defective braiding. By hold--;

3 fromturninguponits own i headse' isin'position of Fig.6) such jerkingeisj prevented. Whenever the thread becomes su fficie'ntly taut, it pulls upwardly uponthe prei jectio'n i3, and;causes the strip or part lflf to be lifted so high end of the lever 2'5 and withdrawing the pawl head 33' into thev position shown injFig. '7. This permits the rotation of. the yarn package 5 in one di n I rection only, namely, in the direction 'of the un: 'windingof the, thread; This relieves the. undue that-it engagesthe under side of thewire loop 32, therebyelevating the tail tension upon the "thread and permits the pro-.

jection i3, to'drop again, thuscausing or-per-' mitting the head 33 of the pawl 2l;- .to,re-enter'a notch of the part 6, with the result'that thethread mass 6 is held from improper movementupon its 1, V

own-axis. Anexcessive push" upward. upon the bent'part 32 of the wire3| (which is done manually by the hand or" the operator while the ma chine is stopped) ,rWillIGSlllt momentarily in the movement of the pawl'head 33 into the position shown in Fig. 8, thus totally disengaging the pawl head from the part 8 and freeingthe thread packj ge 6 for rotation in either own-axis., It Will be direction upon its understood from the foregoing de-' scription that I have provided a construction in which by the use of a singlemember, of a pawl-like. character, the inmy said patent are securedbut in a sirf pler manner.. Having thu ment of the invention, it is to be understood that although specific terms are employedfthefy are preferably 7 used in a general and, descriptive tense and not advantages set iorth V described one illustrative forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the in vention being set forth inthefollowing claims.

Iclaimr V V H 1. A braiding carrier Epr braiding machines adapted to receive a rotatablethread package, a

member having a 'toothedformation in "fixed relation with said threadpackageQa single memcomplete engagement. therewith, to preve t said toothed" formation tion upon its axis and when in partial engagement to permit rotation only in a direction of unwinding of the thread, and means whereby tension upon the thread moves said member to permit rotation of the thread package only in a direction of unwinding of the thread.

2. A braiding carrier for braiding machines adapted to receive a rotatable thread package, a member having a toothed formation in fixed relation with said thread package, a single member adapted to engage said toothed formation, and for that purpose having a portion provided with an upper surface that is upwardly inclined in the direction of the unwinding of the thread from the thread package, whereby said member may in a position of complete engagement with said toothed formation prevent movement of the thread package in either direction upon its axis and in a position of partial engagement may permit rotation thereof only in a direction of unwinding of the thread, and means whereby tension upon the thread moves said member in said second mentioned position.

3. A braiding carrier for braiding machines adapted to receive a rotatable thread package, a member having a toothed formation in fixed relation with said thread package, a single member adapted to engage said toothed formation, and for that purpose having an operative connection with the carrier and having a part to be moved by the condition of tension upon the thread into partial or complete engagement with said toothed formation, the position of partial engagement permitting rotation of the thread package in a direction of unwinding the thread only, and the position of total engagement preventing rotation of the thread package in either direction upon its axis.

4. A braiding carrier forbraiding machines adapted to receive a rotatable thread package, a member having a toothed formation in fixed relation with said thread package, a single member adapted to engage said toothed formation, and for that purpose having a pivotal connection with the carrier and a part to be moved by the condition of tension upon the thread, into partial or complete engagement with said toothed formation, the position of partial engagement permitting rotation of the thread package in a direction of unwinding the thread only, and the position of total engagement preventing rotation of the thread package in either direction upon its axis.

5. A braiding carrier for braiding machines adapted to receive a rotatable thread package, a

member having a toothed formation in fixed relation with said thread package, a single member adapted to engage said toothed formation, and for that purpose having a pivotal connection with the carrier and a part to be moved by the condition of tension upon the thread, into partial or complete engagement with said toothed formation, the position of partial engagement permitting rotation of the thread package in a direction of unwinding the thread only, and the position of total engagement preventing rotation of the thread package in either direction upon its axis, said member being also manually movable upon its pivotal connection into a position of complete disengagement with said toothed formation.

6. A braiding carrier for braiding machines adapted to receive a rotatable thread package, a member having a toothed formation in fixed relation with said thread package, a single member adapted to engage said toothed formation, and for that purpose having an operative connection with the carrier and a part to be moved by the condition of tension upon the thread, into partial or complete engagement with said toothed formation, the position of partial engagement permitting rotation of the thread package in a direction of unwinding the thread only, and the position of total engagement preventing rotation of the thread package in either direction upon its axis, said member being also manually movable upon its said operative connection into a position of complete disengagement with said toothed formation.

ROGER. W. HALE. 

